The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-07-12

inntC VI LILO IuChtoi dplht1s
What a travesty upon the Judicial
office, with the law of the land, in
this adjudicated Christian country
prescribing and stigmatizing as a
crime the offense of swearing, gam
bling, drunkenness, adultery and other
kindred vices, to hear this matches
model of judicial citizenship cursing
the God that made him and the
Savior that died to save him-to see
him playing games of draw poker, or
dunk with excess, or to see the fin
ger of virtuous scorn, pointed at him
for the in6delity that diahonors his
marriage VOW and causes his chill
dren to blush with shame. May the
Judicial hypocrite that would tarnish
the escutcheon of his Office with such
crimes, never be installed upon the
bench in this commonwealth of Mis-
souri,.
The judicial office is weighty with
responsibility, exceeding far its
tenure and emoluments, as the depths
of the ocean stretch beyond the waters
of the gulf.
The relation of the judge to society
requires of him familiar KIN Jwledge of
the principles and provision of the
various branches of the law, with that
quality of discriminating analysis of
fact, and comprehension of the adapt
alton of law and fact based upon a
moral stamina that secures to each
litigant the benefit of appropriate leg
islation.
Laws that are otherwise good can
be made the instruments of Judicial
robbery, and it is not in results, of
any difference to the injured party
whether the deprivation of right
springs from positive corruption, ig-
norance or personal, religious or party
prejudice.
The relation of the judge to society
in addition to the qualifications of stat
utory law, was written upon the divine
trestle board long before Mansfield
adorned the English Bench, or
a Marshall shed luster upon our
own Federal Supreme Court. To
hear the causes between your brethren,
and judge righteously the small as
well as the great without respect of
persOns-holding no mans person in
admiration because Of advantage, for
gifts pervert judgment for the spirit
of judgment is of God.
Society of right is entitled to
have the relation of judge established
upon the brosdest, purest, independ-
ent basis, for he is exempt from in
Identifying pecuniary liability while
acting in a judicial capacity. An i'm
munity intensifes his obligation to the
greatest good fai,h.
The office of judge is of voluntary
adoption, and whatever may operate
to fetter, embarras or influence him
improperly, should be discarded; with
this conviction. l believe with all my
heart, that the public service would
be greatly promoted were the judges
appointed by the chief executive out
side of party rings, unfettered by
promises and bargainings, and above
the baleful atmosphere of a partisan
canvass.
The independence of the judiciary,
that palladium of civil government is
always impaired when its elevation to
office at the expense of eligibility
depends on popular suffrage
cast upon the party slogan of avail
Utility.
The politicians of our state per-
petrated an egregious blunder, which
[ hope to see retrieved, and
sorely injured the relation of the
Judges to society when the Judicial
was changed to party
with its attendant woes. One
of the chief actors in that blunder
an Ex-United States Senator lament
ed that sad mistake to me.
The principle of appointment is
correct and successful as adopted by
the illustrious statesman who framed
our federal constitution, and it
blazes lustrously to-day throughout
our sovereign states as one of the
brightest jewels in the cap of Ameri.
clan Liberty. A judge thus chosen
has upon him the stamp of the divine
mint.
Our laws are mainly founded upon
christian principles, but are compare
lively worthless unless honestly ad-
ministered upon that expansive and
impartial foundation by that high
est type of our modern Civilizations
christian gentleman. Thus panoplied,
the judicial office will command the
implicit confidence and unbounded
respect of the most cultured society,